Blog No 27 Jardin Majorelle

Mexican tree cacti

Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), was born to a famous Art Nouveau furniture designer in Nancy, France, who wanted him to study architecture, but Jacques chose to study art at the Académie Julian in Paris. During his formative years, he lived in Egypt for a few years where he had gone for health reasons (tuberculosis) and he became enamored with light, colors, and the Islamic traditions of Africa.  These experiences influenced his tastes in painting and he became known as an orientalist painter.  

He moved to Morocco in 1917, and eventually acquired almost 10 acres of land in Marrakesh, to which he devoted years of arduous work, creating a lush garden of palm trees, Mexican tree cacti, bamboo groves, bougainvillea, water lilies, and other exotic plants. Majorelle developed the deep cobalt blue (Bleu Majorelle) that accents the Cubist style villa, and reflecting pools.  In 1947, Majorelle opened his garden to visitors to meet expenses, but before long the garden fell into disrepair and fortunately, it was acquired and restored by Yves Saint Laurent. (There is a museum close by that is dedicated to Saint Laurent's life and work.) The garden is best photographed in the morning or evening light, and we were fortunate to visit the gardens shortly before closing.

Majorelle travelled to the Atlas Mountains that lie south of Marrakesh (the peaks still had snow during our visit) where he painted structures called Kasbahs in colors of ochre and earth tones that contrast with the Berber villages of reddish and yellow hues.

Jacques Majorelle was involved in a serious car accident in 1955 that required amputation of his left leg.  In 1962, he suffered a second car accident and was was sent to Paris for treatment but died some months later. 

All photos by author except Atlas Mountain.     I will be at a family reunion next Friday: next blog will be posted in 2 weeks.

Vibrant yellow and blue

Frog on lily leaf

Woman in white in stairwell

Majorelle painting in Atlas Mountains